Kumihimo is a Japanese braiding technique that has become very popular worldwide especially with the addition of beads. Bonded nylon cord is recommended when working with beads for durability and abrasion resistance.

For braiding with beads, EZ Bobs are a necessity, the small ones for small beads and the medium ones for larger beads and so on... All the beads do not need to be loaded on the cord all at once, just load what fits within the EZ Bobs and add more beads when you run out.

Having several disks on hand is nice for working on several braids at the same time, plus it is best to reserve a disk for thinner diameter cords as the slots will relax a bit when working with larger diameter cord.

Personal Note - I first encountered the name 'kumihimo' in 1978 at a show when a textile specialist exclaimed in front of my exhibit that I was doing kumihimo. I had learned my braiding techniques from an old sailor's book on knots. I got a marudai but gave it up. I prefer braiding by hand or with the disks. The disks and plates are great because they are portable. They can be taken on road trips, to the beach or done on a couch watching TV.

As to sizes, try both sizes. The smaller disk was originally
designed for kids, but they are very nice for everyone, not just smaller hands.
The slots are closer to one another, so the hand does not haver to travel as far. However the EZ-Bob get a bit more entangled as they are closer to one another. The larger disk is recommended for any patterns with more than 8 strands. In addition, if you use a pattern where you need to read the numbers, they are easier to read on the bigger disk.

As to thickness, if you find that the thinner disk does not hold your tension tight enough, try the thicker ones. Keeping newer disks for thinner cords and using older ones for thicker cord works well tool.

As to hole sizes... the larger ones are best if working with large beads...

BOBBINS

Small EZ Bobs

Medium EZ Bobs

Large EZ Bobs

EZ-Bob1 1 7/8 " diameter (4.85 cm)
Imported

EZ-Bob3 2 1/2 " diameter (6.35 cm)
Made in the USA

EZ-Bob4 3 1/2 " diameter (8.90 cm)
Imported

New - Tangle-Free Small Bobbins with Weight

Ø - 1 7/8 inch (4.85 cm)
Weight - 24 grams

Imported.
Good plastic construction. Heavier plastic gauge than the standard Small EZ Bobs.
Weight can be removed if desired.

Some braiders like the weight to keep the bobbins tangle free. I personally find 8 weighted bobbins a bit too heavy. I use a single weighted bobbin aas a weight at the end of the braid when braiding with beads. I have not tried them with the weight removed yet.

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